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Monday morning,Archbishop Ryan will honor an alumni who passed away over the weekend in a tragic hot air balloon accident. NBC10's Chris Cato reports on the passing of Philadelphia-area native Ginny Doyle. (Published Monday, May 12, 2014)

The Philadelphia high school where the victim of a hot balloon accident attended paused this morning to remember her with prayer.

Two Locals Aboard Balloon During Tragic Crash

Two bodies have been recovered after a fatal balloon crash occurred near Fredericksburg, Va. Friday. The balloon's pilot, Daniel Kirk, is from central Delaware. Virginia "Ginny" Doyle, a Philly-native and Archbishop Ryan alum, was a passenger along with her University of Richmond collegue, Natalie Lewis. (Published Saturday, May 10, 2014)

Archbishop Ryan High School students and staff took time to remember alumni Virginia Doyle during morning prayers Monday.

The pilot tried to extinguish the flames and manage the situation, but an explosion occurred and then the balloon and gondola separated, according to witnesses at the scene.

Family members of the pilot, Daniel Kirk of central Delaware, confirmed he was operating the balloon and University of Richmond officials confirmed that Natalie Lewis, director of the school's basketball operations, was also on board.

Doyle, who has been named to the Archishop Ryan Ragdolls Hall of Famers, was a model student, embodying the Catholic high school's values.

After Doyle graduated from Ryan, she went on to George Washington University. She spent two years at the school and then transferred to University of Richmond, where she played two years for the Spiders basketball team.

"Words cannot begin to express our sorrow," said Keith Gill, Richmond's director of athletics. "We are all stunned by the tragic news. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their loved ones."

As a player, Doyle helped lead the Spiders to the 1991 Colonial Athletic Association Championship and the NCAA tournament. She set the NCAA Division I record for consecutive free throws made with 66 -- an honor that stood for 18 years.

She graduated from Richmond in 1992, joining the staff in 1999 after stints as an assistant coach at two other colleges.

During her 16-year tenure with the coaching staff, Doyle helped the team achieve nine winning seasons, an at-large berth to the 2005 NCAA tournament and a first-ever appearance in the Atlantic 10 Championship in 2009.